This quick and easy homemade cranberry orange sauce features just a few simple ingredients, but the flavor is amazing! It's perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner and holiday meals.
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Homemade cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries is so quick and easy to make, and so much better than the canned stuff. This version is flavored with orange juice and zest to help balance the tart flavor of the cranberries and sweetness of the sugar.
If you need to bring a side dish to a potluck Thanksgiving, this is the one to pick! You won't have to worry about keeping the dish warm or reheating when you arrive. And it can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated until you're ready to serve.
Ingredients for the BEST cranberry sauce
- 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries
- Juice and zest of 1 large orange (around ¼ cup of juice)
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- Optional: 1 cinnamon stick
How to make homemade cranberry sauce
- This homemade cranberry orange sauce couldn't be easier to make. Just combine the orange juice, zest, water, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat then stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
- Once the sugar has dissolved add in the cranberries and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the cranberries begin to burst and the mixture is thickened.
- Let the sauce cool completely to room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator before serving.
Make ahead
The cranberry sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Optional variations
- Spiced Cranberry Sauce - If you like a spiced cranberry sauce, you can also toss in a cinnamon stick when you add the cranberries to the simmering liquid. Once the sauce has cooled remove the cinnamon stick before serving.
- Smooth Cranberry Sauce - If you want a smooth cranberry sauce without the skins, you can remove them after cooking. The best way to remove the cranberry skins is to press the mixture through a fine mesh strainer using a wooden spoon and discard the skins.
- Cranberry Apple Chutney - If you like apples in your cranberry sauce, add in a peeled and diced apple when adding in the cranberries. Chopped pecans are another great addition with the apples for a crunchy texture.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 large orange, zest and juice , around ¼ cup juice
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Combine the orange zest, juice, sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves then add the cranberries. Simmer until the cranberries begin to burst and the mixture has thickened, around 10 -15 minutes.
- Let the sauce cool completely to room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
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